Ford narrowly wins Ontario PC leadership after chaotic convention

03/10/2018

Doug Ford has captured the Ontario Progressive Conservative
leadership by a razor-thin margin, the party announced late Saturday at
the end of a chaotic convention and wild, unpredictable race.

The
former city councilor with a populist, plain-spoken style won on the
third ballot of the online election with just under 51 per cent of the
electoral votes allocated to each riding, handing rival Christine
Elliott her third straight defeat in three attempts at taking the
party's leadership.

His win signals a move to the right for the
Ontario Tories. Ford reached out to fiscal and social conservatives,
promising to rewrite a controversial sex-education curriculum, and
appearing open to exploring restrictions on abortion for underage girls.

He
also vowed to abandon former leader Patrick Brown's promise to bring in
a tax on carbon emissions, and to fight any attempt by the federal
Liberal government to impose one on the province. Brown had tried to
craft a more moderate, just right-of-centre platform.

Ford's
victory came seven hours after the results were supposed to be
announced, as a challenge that sources say was filed by Elliott threw
the leadership convention into confusion.